Ryan Gosling's film approved for tax incentives

This March 10, 2013 photo shows Canadian actor Ryan Gosling poses for a portrait in New York. Gosling plays a tattooed motorbike rider in a traveling circus in his latest film,"The Place Beyond the Pines." (Photo by Victoria Will/Invision/AP)

Cue the screaming girls — residents may soon be seeing more of Oscar nominated actor Ryan Gosling around metro Detroit in the near future.

The Michigan Film Office announced Monday that the feature film “How to Catch a Monster” has been approved for a nearly $1.8 million film incentive from the state. The movie, which marks Gosling’s writing and directorial debut, is scheduled to begin filming in metro Detroit next month.

Director of the Michigan Film Office Margaret O’Riley said in a press release, “This project is a great fit for Michigan and what we have to offer from incredible locations to a talented workforce.”

“It’s a strong vote of confidence when individuals who have filmed previously in Michigan bring new projects back to the state.”

Advertisement

Gosling has previous experience filming in Michigan. He and actor George Clooney were lead characters in the 2011 movie “Ides of March,” which was filmed partly in Ann Arbor.

“How to Catch a Monster” was awarded an incentive of $1,750,909 on $6,238,922 of projected in-state expenditures. The project is expected to hire 104 Michigan workers with a full-time equivalent of 30 jobs.

Gosling, known for starring in both romantic and action movies, has previously shown interest in the horror genre, which can be seen with his band Dead Man’s Bones. Gosling and bandmate Zach Shields, who share a mutual love of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, wrote several songs about ghosts, monsters and zombies, and they once filmed a music video in a cemetery.

The film “How to Catch a Monster” will star Christina Hendricks from the AMC television series “Mad Men;” Saoirse Ronan, who stars in the in-theaters movie “The Host;” Eva Mendes, actress in “The Place Beyond the Pines” and “Hitch;” Matt Smith of BBC’s “Doctor Who;” and Ben Mendelsohn, actor in “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Marc Platt and Adam Siegel are producing the film on behalf of Marc Platt Productions, along with Gosling via Phantasma Films. Michel Litvak and David Lancaster are producing and financing via Bold Films. Sierra/Affinity is overseeing international sales for the film.

The suspenseful fantasy movie “How to Catch a Monster” takes place in a vanishing city when the character 18-year-old son Bones discovers a secret road leading to an underwater town. He and his single mother Billy, played by Hendricks, must dive deep into the mystery if their family is to survive.

So far this year, 14 projects have been awarded a total of $32,713,715 on $126,410,988 of approved production expenditures for the year. These projects are expected to create 1,294 Michigan hires with a full-time equivalent of 589 jobs.